Where does “Zeichensprache” come from?

Zeichensprache (German) comes from German zeichen, from Old High German zeihhan, from Proto-West Germanic taikn, from Proto-Germanic taikną, from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- — to point out.

Zeichensprache (German): sign language

Definitions

  1. sign language

Ancestry of “Zeichensprache”, step by step

Zeichensprache traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via German zeichen

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germanzeichensign, token
2Old High Germanzeihhansign, symbol, feature; sign, symbol
3Proto-West Germanictaiknsign, token, symbol
4Proto-Germanictaiknąsign, token, symbol
5Proto-Indo-Europeandeyḱ-to point out

via German sprāche

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Germansprāchelanguage body of words, and set of methods of combining them
2Middle High Germansprāche—
3Old High Germansprāhha—
4Proto-West Germanic*sprākuspeech, language
Every word from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic taikną →Every word from Proto-West Germanic taikn →